Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-12-16
ENFORCE THE LAZY OF
VIRGINIA.

counsel for the English Bondholders, !"
has expressed the opinion that if the State
proceeds to enforce the coupon-crusher
now, sit might prove fatal to negotiation 8
for settlement" Gov. Lee has also rec
commended that the legislature should en-
act law staying the execution of the
coupon crusher. and has said that he felt
s'very hopeful indeed about securing a
debt-settlement. 4" These expressions from
two gentlement prominent on either side
Of the fence in the debt fight merit more
- than passing notice.
How far Mr.. Royal represents the
"English bondholders" no one seems able
to say-it was thing that no man could
find out when the so.called bondholders
commission was in conference with the
Virginia legislative commission last
Spring. But there are two or three things
we'll ascertalned; that he does represent
J. P. Cooper and others who bought On
speculation lot of about $150, 900 coupons
and bonds, land that as counsel for the said
J. P. Cooper, be succeeded through az H.
legal order of U. s. Circuit Judge Bond III
inficting the humiliation on Virginia OF
putting her prominent State officers in Jail
while he was trying to enforce the collec-
ton of these coupons bought by specula-
tors. MIR. Royal never called a halt while
the top dog in the fight and it is rather
late for him to Call one when Virginia
gets the top place. There are no negotla
tions that we know of pending between
Virginia and any ''Eaglish Bondholders"
even if they could be found to negotiate
with. Nor will there be any If the legls-
lature represents the interests of the peo-
pie. The Riddleberger Bill is the law of the
land and it is there for those who hold The
bonds, to fund under. There is no ne
gotiation necessary for that proceeding :;
it Is open to everybody and the officers are
at the capitol to fund as fast as the bonds
are brought in. That is all about the
negotiations. About laws; there Is n
need of any law making. There is but
one law to be put in force that is at all
called for, and that is a statute fixing the
limit for the time to fund in. That should
be passed and must be passed.
Gov. Lees suggestion about suspen-
sion of execution has no peculiar claim on
legislative attention. The Governor.
is a true and firm supporter of the Rid
dleberger bill, as have been nearly all the
other State officers of prominence-except
Attorney General Ayres, who, like the
repentant Peter, redeemed himself by
greater devotion to the Cause and going to
prison for it. But the success Of Virginia
in this fight is not due to Gov. Lee more
than to any other loyal State officer; it
Is due to the spectacle Of a United States
Circuit Judge failing State officers for
executing State law, which was present.
ed to the Supreme Court of the Nation
and to the people of the thirty-eight
United States. 1t Was an act that dragged
the Eleventh Amendment out of the gar
retrubblsh and held it up to Nation which
had almost forgotten it existed. The tele
grams that announced to the people of
the thlrty-eight States of the Union that
the officers of one of those STATES had been
jailed by petty Federal Judge, as good
as carried with them the later decision OF
the Supreme Court. And now, while
Cooper is making war by flooding the
State with his guarantee" circular, en-
dorsed by Royal, the Governor of Vir
ginia wants the State to keep the peace
and suspend her laws awaiting "negotia-
tions!'
There is no ground for any delay or sus-
pension by the Virginia legislature. There
Is to be no commission again. There is to
b. 60 more hag.ling and chaffering in
order that sumo sort of saving clause may
be gotten out of the Virginia legislature
recouping Cooper for his $15O,O0O lost in
his speculation and the $12 900 per annum
salaries that they have been paying Mr.
Royal; or that some two or three men
may manage by hook or crook TO get their
names mixed up with the "DeOt Settle
ment' for posterity, as town coupcilmen
get their names stuck over wafer works
and monuments and similar tom-foolery
The debt is settled by the restoration of
an usurped authority to Virginia. She has
made her laws long since and it only re-
mains for her to execute them. Virginia
She has no punishment to award coupon
tenderers. What she wants and what she
must have is the money for her taxes I'M
paid by coupon tenderers. She Will need
every dollar of it to run the government
and pay the full interest under the Riddle
berger bill. She can't let up On coupon
tenderers for their back taxes; she is not
financially able to do it. 1t will be hard
on some of them 7 SO it will, but not so
hard as may be imagined. In this county
some of the coupon-tenderers not only
got the indemnity guarantee which we
print below, but also the individual guar
antee of the responsible men who sold the
coupons to them. Besides this they got
this valuable document which, it will be
observed, is endorsed by 30 good a lawyer !
as MIR. Royal, as satisfactory. They were
published in the Richmond ''Dispateh''
many months ago, when the sun shone
fairer on Mr.. Cooper and Judge Bond and
darker on Virginia, than it does now:
To TAx-PAYERs.-Coupons can be used in /,
payment of all taxes due the State. very |
large proportion of your tax bills can be saved |
by using coupons. Full legal protection and |
indemnity guaranteed. JAMES P. COOPER,
Gil Main street, Richmond, Va |
l advise all persons intending to use |
coupons to procure them from Mr. J. P.
Cooper or his agents, and get his guarantee
of indemnity, as with it 1 can secure them full !
and complete legal protection
WILLIAM L. RoYALL,
Let the legislature keep their hands off,
and let Mr.. RoYall's negotiations" and
Gov. Lees ''suspensions" alone. The